Asia

North Korea lifts lockdown in border town after suspected COVID-19 case ‘inconclusive’

adminAugust 14, 20201 Mins read77 Views

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lifted a three week lockdown in the city of Kaesong and nearby areas, after a man who defected to the South returned to the border town last month showing COVID-19 symptoms, state media said on Friday (Aug 14).

Kim made the decision at a politburo meeting convened to discuss the government's efforts to prevent a coronavirus outbreak, as well as the response to heavy rain and flooding, state news agency KCNA reported.

North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but Kim said last month that the virus "could be said to have entered" the country and imposed the lockdown after the man was reported to have symptoms. Later test results on the man were "inconclusive", according to the World Health Organisation.

READ: Buses, trains disinfected as North Korea ramps up coronavirus measures

Coronavirus prevention measures had stabilised the risk in the area, Kim said in a statement carried by KCNA.

While easing the lockdown within the country, Kim said that border controls should remain tight and ordered communities not to accept any external assistance related to the floods caused by weeks of heavy rain.

"The situation, in which the spread of the worldwide malignant virus has become worse, requires us not to allow any outside aid for the flood damage but shut the border tighter and carry out strict anti-epidemic work," Kim said in a statement carried out by the KCNA.

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